Lake Poopó
Lake Poopó (Spanish: Lago Poopó Spanish: [ˈlaɣo po.oˈpo]) was a large saline lake in a shallow depression in the Altiplano Mountains in Oruro Department, Bolivia, at an altitude of approximately 3,700 m (12,100 ft). Due to the lake's length and width (90 by 32 km; 56 by 20 mi), it made up the eastern half of Oruro, known as a mining region in southwest Bolivia. The permanent part of the lake body covered approximately 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) and it was the second-largest lake in the country. The lake received most of its water from the Desaguadero River, which flows from Lake Titicaca at the north end of the Altiplano. Since the lake lacked any major outlet and had a mean depth of less than 3 m (10 ft), the surface area differed greatly seasonally.
| Lake Poopó | |
|---|---|
| Lago Poopó (Spanish) | |
Aerial photograph of the lake in 1991 | |
Lake Poopó Lake Poopó | |
| Location | Altiplano |
| Coordinates | 18°33′S 67°05′W |
| Type | Endorheic salt lake |
| Primary inflows | River Desaguadero |
| Primary outflows | evaporation |
| Catchment area | 27,700 km2 (10,700 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Bolivia |
| Surface area | 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) |
| Average depth | >1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Surface elevation | 3,686 m (12,093 ft) |
| Settlements | Oruro Challapata, Huari |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Lagos Poopó y Uru Uru |
| Designated | 11 July 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1181 |
In 2002, the lake was designated as a site for conservation under the Ramsar Convention. By December 2015, the lake had completely dried up, leaving only a few marshy areas. Despite the lake rebounding from two previous recorded drying instances, as of 2016, the lake's recovery is considered unlikely. Suggested causes of the decline are the melting of the Andes glaciers and loss of their waters, because of a drought due to climate change, as well as continued diversion of water for mining and agriculture.